Tuning the Bugatti Tourbillon’s V16 Exhaust Sound Took a Lot of Work. It Was Worth It

A naturally aspirated V16 that revs to 9,000 rpm is a great starting point, but Bugatti didn’t leave anything to chance. As explained in a video from the automaker, its engineers spent thousands of hours developing and testing the exhaust sound of the Tourbillon. Even a naturally talented singer can benefit from voice coaching, y’know.

The 8.3-liter, cross-plane-crank engine built by Cosworth sounds pretty great on its own. In the Tourbillon, the V16 is teamed with three electric motors to produce a combined 1,800 horsepower, getting the hypercar from zero to 62 mph in two seconds flat, and on to a top speed of 276 mph. Making this first-ever Bugatti plug-in hybrid sound good regardless of the level of electric intervention was a new challenge the engineers of the Veyron and Chiron didn’t face.

Those Volkswagen-era Bugattis were also designed not just for record-breaking performance, but with an attitude toward everyday usability more reflective of a mass-market conglomerate than a boutique brand. So the Tourbillon had to be loud, but refined. And thankfully, engineers intend for the Tourbillon to be driven with the windows down—which isn’t always the case in this era of hyperfixation on airflow. They also claim that what drivers and passengers will hear is completely natural, without any artificial sounds pumped through speakers.

A variety of engine types have powered Bugattis throughout the years, from the outgoing quad-turbocharged, 8.0-liter W16 to the straight-eights of the classic prewar grand prix cars. It’s hard to pull anything consistent out of all that, but Romain Volatier, the automaker’s head of NVH and acoustics, zeroed in on a “dirty and raw” character. The Tourbillon’s exhaust has a building rumble, not a clean metallic ring.

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Of course, the Tourbillon also had to be road-legal. As shown in the video, the car had to pass drive-by sound tests by emitting no more than 72 decibels. That’s a total figure that includes not only the exhaust, but any noise the car might make. Tires, air flowing around the body, and any other mechanical noises contribute to that number, so quieting them means the exhaust can be louder.

Tourbillon deliveries are expected to start later this year but, with production capped at 250 cars, they won’t be a common sight. I hope that if I’m lucky enough to see one, I’m also lucky enough to hear it at full chat.